Government Disregards Expanded PFAS Testing Requests Despite Widespread Contamination in Wastewater
PARIS – A recent government campaign analyzing PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in wastewater treatment plant effluents (STEU) has drawn criticism for its limited scope, despite evidence of far broader contamination than currently regulated for, and for dismissing calls for greater transparency and long-term monitoring. While the published decree focuses on 20 PFAS in drinking water and six linked to firefighting foam, analysis reveals over 80 PFAS substances are being discharged by industrial sites included in the 2023/2024 campaign. This contrasts with the official PFAS map published in July, which already covers 34 PFAS substances.
Advocates had urged authorities to expand testing,proposing the analysis of an additional 18 PFAS compounds,and also all PFAS substances identified in industrial discharges treated by the STEU. This request was denied, specifically regarding Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly mobile and soluble PFAS that is both a degradation product of PFAS pesticides and a raw material used in industry. The National Water Committee’s working group had previously supported including TFA in the control campaign.
Data indicates TFA is frequently the most prevalent PFAS found in distributed water, often exceeding the European threshold of 500 ng/L for total PFAS. The Office of Future Generations in Paris,for example,has measured TFA levels as high as 6200 ng/L in tap water.
Further concerns center on the lack of publicly available information regarding the campaign’s results and the implementation of ongoing monitoring. The Office of Future Generations requested full public disclosure of all results, including operational conditions and effluent treatment details, citing transparency and the need for rigorous data utilization.
Currently, the decree only outlines a one-time exploratory campaign. The responsibility now falls to the State to define the parameters for sustainable STEU surveillance based on the campaign’s findings. Advocates state they will closely monitor the government’s response.
